בס"ד

Torah in je leven integreren door reflectie en conversatie kan een ongelooflijk leuke en boeiende ervaring zijn. Het is een ontdekkingsreis waarbij oude wijsheid en tijdloze leringen tot leven komen in onze dagelijkse ervaringen. Door reflectie hebben we de mogelijkheid om diep in het rijke tapijt van Tora te duiken en er diepgaande inzichten en lessen uit te halen die resoneren met ons moderne leven. De vreugde ligt in de 'aha'-momenten, die momenten waarop een Torah-vers of -verhaal plotseling verbonden is met onze persoonlijke uitdagingen, aspiraties en waarden. En wanneer we met anderen over Torah praten, wordt het een interactief onderzoek, waarbij verschillende perspectieven en interpretaties ons begrip vergroten. Deze dialogen wekken vaak opwinding en intellectuele nieuwsgierigheid op, waardoor het leerproces zowel plezierig als bevredigend wordt. Tora wordt een levendig en dynamisch deel van ons leven, dat niet alleen leiding biedt, maar ook een bron van eindeloze fascinatie, verbinding en groei.

OPMERKING: Voel je niet verplicht om elke bron door te nemen of alle vragen te beantwoorden - tenzij je dat wilt. Zelfs één bron of één vraag geeft je genoeg stof voor discussie en meditatie. Geniet ervan!

Some thoughts from the parsha

“And the L-rd said to Avram: ‘Go for yourself, from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.’”
(Bereishit 12:1)

The Mishnah teaches that Abraham was tested ten times, each test revealing the depth of his faith and his love of G-d. Every test invited him to step beyond what was comfortable and to uncover a greatness that he himself had not yet seen.

We often think of life’s challenges as interruptions—obstacles that prevent us from living the life we imagined. But Abraham’s journey teaches that these challenges are the life. They are the way we grow into the people we are meant to become.

The words lech lecha are unusual. Literally, they mean “go for yourself.” Why not simply “go”? The Sages explain that G-d wanted Abraham to know that this journey was not a punishment or an assignment—it was an invitation to become himself. “Go for yourself”—go to find the person you truly are. Growth is not about leaving behind who you were; it’s about discovering who you always could be.

For Noahides, this message resonates deeply. G-d’s call to Abraham is also a call to all of humanity: to move forward, to pursue truth and goodness, and to grow into the image of G-d that each of us bears. The Seven Noahide Laws are not restrictions but a foundation—a clear path for becoming people of conscience, compassion, and integrity. We are not meant to take on what was never commanded to us; we are meant to live fully and faithfully within what was.

The Midrash says that the world was created b’Abraham—for the sake of Abraham—because the purpose of creation awaited a human being who would recognize the Creator out of free will. Abraham’s greatness was that he sought truth before it was revealed to him. He used the light of reason, conscience, and wonder to find the One behind all existence. Every person who lives honestly before G-d continues that mission.

Each of Abraham’s ten tests refined him further, narrowing the gap between the potential Abraham known to Heaven and the living Abraham walking on earth. We too have two selves—the one we are now and the one G-d knows we can be. Life’s tests are bridges between them. When we meet difficulty with courage and trust, when we choose integrity even when no one is watching, we draw closer to that higher self.

“Whomever G-d loves, He rebukes,” says King Solomon. It is not punishment but love that calls us to rise. Each challenge is a form of divine belief in us—a signal that G-d knows what we can become.

May we all find the strength to walk our own lech lecha—to leave behind fear, habit, and comfort, and to move toward the real selves that G-d already sees within us. And may our journeys, like Abraham’s, bring blessing to the world

Now, reflect on the following questions

  1. When in your life have you felt called to step beyond your comfort zone—and what did you discover about yourself through that challenge?
  2. What does it mean to you to “go for yourself”? How might that idea shape the way you respond to difficulty or change?
  3. Abraham’s greatness began with searching for truth. In what ways can you deepen your own search for truth and integrity in everyday life?
  4. Which of the Seven Noahide principles feels most alive in your life right now—and which one invites more growth?
  5. What would it look like for you, this week, to take one step closer to the person G-d knows you can become?

Shabbat Shalom!

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Door rabbijn Tani Burton

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